Watching Over You
by TeaMongrel
Summary: “How do you know that huh? How?” Ellis just continued smiling. “’Cause ‘m be watching over ya’ll.” Might up the rating later.
1. Goodbye

'Ello!!

So I got this idea after school, waiting for my friend to finish with rehearsal. I had just been playing Left 4 Dead 2 as Ellis and I just kept on getting jumped by every single hunter we came across.

So I randomly came up with this idea while listening to the other actors singing along to Peter Pan (our current musical). I am so mean to my favorite characters.

**Warning**: This has not been edited by anyone other than me. I'm kind of new to the writing thing so please go easy on me. Also some characters may seem a little OOC. Bear with it please.

**Disclaimer**: No I don't own Left 4 Dead 2…damnit.

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Watching Over You

The attack happened just before they reached the safe house.

They'd been scrambling to get to the room and all their attention had been so focused on it that they hadn't listened as carefully for what was around them.

The hunter had been lurking from the third floor of the building adjacent to the safe room one. It leapt through the air and tackled Ellis to the ground, sending them both rolling a few feet away from the safe room and the others.

Rochelle gasped and yelled, "Hunter!!" before trying to blow the thing off of Ellis, but this hunter was smarter than the rest and backed up away from the line of fire, but not before grabbing Ellis' ankle and dragging him with it. Ellis screamed as the new scrapes and gouges he'd acquired were torn open further from the rough treatment. Nick ran after them, shooting round after round, trying to keep the hunter from getting to a place where it could jump.

Coach and Rochelle ran into the safe room, grabbing more weapons and reloading before rushing back out, a first aid kit in each of their hands. They followed the sound of shooting and screams around the building until they spotted the hunter trying to leap away with Ellis who looked as if he'd passed out if his closed eyes and limp form were anything to go by. Nick suddenly charged forward and slammed the butt of his gun into the hunter's head, loosening its grip enough for Rochelle and Coach to run forward and drag Ellis away.

Once Ellis was clear of his shot, Nick let loose a barrage of bullets, penetrating the hunter in a spray of artillery. Nick watched the hunter twitch for a little while longer; making sure it was down before backing up and jogging hastily over to the safe room where Coach and Rochelle had carried Ellis.

When he got inside he closed the door and bolted it shut, setting down his guns to push a desk in front of it for extra protection.

Once he'd secured the door, he slumped against the desk trying to catch his breath from the strain of moving something so heavy.

After a minute or two he finally turned to where Coach and Rochelle were working on Ellis. They'd knocked all the guns off the counter and laid Ellis across it, working urgently to disinfect and bandage his wounds.

Nick watched on for a moment before making his way over to them. When he got near enough he paused and just stared at the usually cheerful and energetic southerner. His legs were splayed sloppily across the counter and his hands were resting on his chest, clenching twitching sporadically. His skin had a thick layer of sweat and his breath was coming in short gasps of pain.

Rochelle finished up with the wound she was dealing with before turning to Coach. "Do you think he's gonna make it?"

Coach pulled away from the ankle he'd been working on and frowned, shaking his head sadly. "I don't think he'll last much longer."

Nick, who'd been listening to them intently, gasped and fixed his eyes on Coach. "Are you serious?"

Coach looked at him and nodded grimly. "The kid ain't gonna last more than ten minutes I'd wager. We just don't have enough supplies and he's too far gone to save now."

Rochelle choked on a sob. She's gotten so attached to the boy, who made her laugh and smile when it seemed like she'd never smile again. He'd become the little brother she'd always wanted and then some. She couldn't handle the rush of emotions she was feeling and went over to the corner of the room, sitting down and crying softly.

Coach looked on for moment, a mournful expression on his face, before walking over to Rochelle and sitting next to her. He pulled her into a hug and let her cry on his shoulder. He hated to think about it and admitting it out loud just now was hard enough, but Ellis wasn't going to last much longer and the thought of the hyperactive mechanic not being around to crack a joke or tell one of his stories made his stomach turn. He had to keep it together though and be strong for the other two. He reined in his sadness and focused on comforting Rochelle.

Nick, who still stood by Ellis' shivering form, gazed down at him miserably. It was wrong to see Ellis, the optimistic and over energetic bundle of southern charm, lying on a counter top, slowly dying from his injuries. He was supposed to be invincible, not falling apart.

Nick shuddered and shut his eyes, trying to halt the tears that now dampened them from falling. He was tougher than that.

Just as he was about to turn away, he felt a weak tug on his suit arm. His eyes snapped open and he stared into Ellis' now open eyes. It was obvious he was struggling to keep them open. Nick watched as Ellis moved his mouth slowly as if he was talking but nothing was coming out. He leaned forward until he was less than a foot away from Ellis' face. "What is it Overalls?" he asked shakily, attempting to remain nonchalant.

Ellis breathed in slowly a moment before asking, "S'ever'one mk?"

Nick almost broke down at Ellis' concern for their well being even though he was the one dying. Instead he nodded his head and whispered back, "Yeah. Yeah we're all okay." Ellis weakly nodded and sucked in a sharp breath before continuing. "'Ow's it lookin'?" Nick shuddered and reached out to grip Ellis' left hand. "It's not lookin' to good kid." Ellis blinked sluggishly.

"Oh," was all he mumbled before coughing heavily, the noise attracting Coach and Rochelle's attention and drawing them back over.

Rochelle walked around the counter to be on the other side of Ellis and grasped his other hand in hers. "Hey baby. How ya doin'?" Ellis coughed weakly and replied, "M' fine Ro. Jus' fi…" he was cut off by another coughing fit, struggling to breathe as a stream of blood and spittle poured out of his mouth, inching their way down the sides of his face.

Nick cringed and ignored the sob Rochelle let loose. He tightened his grip on Ellis' hand. "You're gonna be okay Ellis. You're gonna be okay." Ellis turned his eyes towards Nick and smiled feebly. "S' tha firs' time you've said mah name."

Nick's eyes moistened with tears again and he couldn't stop a few stray ones from falling this time. He returned Ellis' smile with his own sad one and leaned forward until he was resting his forehead against Ellis'. Ellis' eyes closed and his smile widened. "Nick, ya gonna be okay."

Nick pulled back, another tear sliding down his face. "How do you know that huh? How?"

Ellis just continued smiling. "'Cause 'm be watching over ya'll."

Nick's eyes widened and Rochelle's cries increased in volume. Coach sniffed sadly, and hugged Rochelle to him, trying to ease the pain a little.

Ellis breathing slowed down, and his eyes fluttered open one last time. "Love you guys," was the last thing he said before his breathing slowed to a halt and his eyes listlessly closed.

Nicks breathe caught, his mind refusing to comprehend the face that Ellis was really gone, but the cold hard truth was lying quietly and motionlessly right in front of him.

Coach steered Rochelle away from Ellis and sat her against a wall. He walked back over and clapped Nick on the shoulder. "Nick," he started, trying to think of what to say. "Nick we can't stay here. We gotta go soon."

Nicks shoulders slumped and the hand that was still holding Ellis' limp one let go. "Yeah, I know," he mumbled blankly.

Coach hesitated but nodded, returning to Rochelle and coaxing to get back up. They all began packing supplies and reloading every weapon they could carry. The room was silent, save for the muffled coughs and cries of the infected outside.

Once they'd gathered everything they needed, they headed over to the safe rooms exit. They cast wary glances at each other before they all nodded and Coach wrenched the door open.

The first out were Coach and Rochelle. Nick was about to follow before he abruptly stopped and turned to look back at the prone form of his fallen friend.

A lone tear fell down his face once more. "Goodbye Ellis," he whispered before reaching for the hatch and closing the door behind him.

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Please read and review! No flames please. Just let me know what you think. I'll update soon.


	2. Reboot and Restart

So this has been rewritten and revised several times over the week before I came up with this version. It's only been looked over by myself and a friend of mine so any errors you see...yeah that's us. Hope ya'll enjoy and sorry if you don't like where I'm going with this story.

**Warning**: Contains eventual Nick/Ellis. Don't like, don't read.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own L4D2...or Nick and Ellis...dammit.

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_Ch. 2-_ Reboot and Restart

The first thing he felt was searing pain, the red haze burning through his closed eyes. Sounds of groaning infected outside the door filtered into the room via the open barred window.

He tried to think, remember, but nothing was coming to mind, not even his name. The only thing he could focus on was the wracking pain; his whole body felt like it had been run over by… something; something big… and heavy.

He sat up slowly, his muscles stinging as they stretched with the movement. He extended his arms and legs out in front of him, testing the mobility of said limbs. His legs felt awkward extended straight out in front of him so he tucked them closer to him.

He tried to open his eyes; ignoring the protest his brain was supplying him. The lids pulled back and a high pitched screaming invaded his ears; it stopped the moment he realized it was coming from his own mouth.

He reached his hands above his head, attempting to shield his eyes from the source of his pain. When he felt the hat that was haphazardly perched on his head, he pulled it over his eyes and sighed in relief when the pain died down. Once the ache had faded completely, he glanced cautiously around the room he was in.

There appeared to be a desk-or what his mind told him was a 'desk'- against the far wall, blocking a door. Next to the 'desk' seemed to be a large white box. He stared at it a moment before the word 'fridge' seemed to materialize into his thoughts.

He groaned in frustration. It shouldn't be this hard to think of what things are should it? Speaking of which, what was with not being able to remember anything.

He scanned through his memory, or what was apparently left of it. Why couldn't he remember anything? His eyes scrunched in irritation underneath his hat. He attempted to remember something else besides the names of some of the things lying around the room but after figuring out what 'desk' and 'fridge' were, the only other things he could remember were 'gun' when he saw all the ones scattered across the floor, and 'nick'…whatever that meant.

He sighed, the sound coming out in more of a growl and slipped off the counter, landing on the floor on all fours. Looking to the left he saw another door, this one not blocked by anything. He crawled over to it and stood up slowly, his legs bent and back hunched slightly.

He peered through the bars, seeing some…well he wasn't sure yet, wandering about. He looked towards the handle that kept the door closed and stared at it questioningly for a moment before tentatively reaching for it and pushing it down.

A low groaning sound came from the action and once the handle went down as far as it could he pulled, steadily opening the door.

Once it was open he carefully walked out, looking all around and slumping back onto all fours. He glanced at the…people…wandering aimlessly about, running into walls and bumping into each other. Some of them momentary looked in his direction before resuming their ambling pace.

For some reason this seemed wrong. He wasn't sure why but he felt like they should be attacking him, not just ignoring him as they were. He slunk forward warily, avoiding every…person he saw as he crept along. He discovered after about 15 minutes of roaming aimlessly that he had no idea where he was going. He crawled about a few more feet before something hit him; a scent. It wasn't something like food, nothing like… pie. Yeah, pie… whatever pie was. This was more like…well he couldn't really place it but it was a nice scent.

He slunk along the ground like a dog, sniffing as he went until he reached a broken down building. He looked up towards the roof and growled. How the hell was he going to get up there?! He scooted back until he could see the ledge and crouched as low as he could, his belly brushing the concrete beneath him. He hesitated a moment before straightening his legs, leaping as high as he he reached the ledge he quickly grasped it with his clawed fingers, the nails digging into the brick.

It took him a minute to realize he was safe and not sprawled back on the ground below. He stared down at the where he had just been almost 30 feet below and grinned. This was gonna be fun! He looked at the building across from the one he was perched on and coiled his legs, straightening them like a spring once again and leaping onto the roof of the adjacent building.

He grinned and continued leaping from building to building, tracking the scent he had found. Eventually he ended up outside what appeared to be a gun shop. He sniffed the air and noticed the scent was coming from inside the shop.

He dropped to the ground and snuck forward slowly, keeping a safe distance from the door. He heard faint voices coming from inside. These voices were different from the ones he'd been hearing ever since he left that room. They weren't mumbles or groans like the rest, but actual sentences and words.

Curious, he approached the entrance. When he got to the doorway he stopped, the scent he'd been pursuing hitting him in a wave. He sighed contently, the sound coming out in more of a pleased growl, apparently alerting the voices he was there. All he heard was "Hunter!" before a gunshot sounded, the bullet hitting the door frame right next to where his head had been.

He yelped and leapt onto the roof of the shop, whimpering as he tried to sooth the new cut on his face where a piece of the frame had hit. He hadn't been on the roof for two minutes before a piercing shriek permeated the air. He cried out in surprise, the sudden sound startling him.

He shook his head to focus and crept to the edge of the roof. He saw the stumbling people he'd seen earlier, but this time they were running towards something. He strained his eyes to try and see what it was before he saw three figures burst out of what appeared to be another shop.

They were different from the others, besides the fact that they were shooting at them with a mini arsenal of weapons. Two of them had darker skin than the third, one wearing a bright pink shirt with long hair tied back while the other was slightly more round set and had a two-toned shirt on.

They appeared to be trying to protect the third person who seemed to be carrying something as he ran. He focused on this third individual. His eyes took in the white suit the man wore, dirty with blood and singed at the edges. He was so enthralled with the man that he didn't even notice the others coming straight for the group.

He twitched, wanting to move forward. That was when he heard it. "Shit! Shit!" the man in white yelled dropping what he had been holding, attempting to grab his weapon. As the man tried to grip it, by some inexplicable reason he looked up; right then he saw the prettiest shade of green he had ever laid eyes on.

The bulky… person… ran forward and the man hadn't cocked his gun. He let out a whimper, wanting nothing more than to warn him but not having the words.

Instead, he lunged; something felt wrong about letting the green eyed man died. He slammed into the massive thing that had been attacking the green eyed man, knocking it back a few feet. He positioned himself in front of the man and hissed angrily at the giant.

It stared quizzically at him a moment before growling and lunging at him instead. He snarled and swiped at the other, raking his nails across its face and jumping onto it, clawing and biting with all his might. He ignored the shrieks and feeble attempts to bat him off and didn't stop his assault until he felt the brute stop moving and tumble forward, slamming into the ground.

He sat on its back a moment to make sure it was dead before turning to the green eyed man. The man was staring at him with what he assumed was disbelief, his mouth hanging open in a state of shock, the parcel he'd been transporting lying forgotten a few feet away from him. He crawled over to the object, keeping his eyes on it, but feeling the man's eyes following him.

When he got to the item he picked it up and carried it slowly over to the other. He sat it down next to him and scooted back a bit, lying down on his stomach and whimpering, almost as if asking if he'd done a good job.

When the man made no move towards the object, he nudged it towards him to make sure he knew it was there. The man blinked and looked at it, sparing it a glance before focusing his gaze back on him. He shivered as those brilliant green eyes analyzed him, seemingly trying to figure out what he was up to. Another whisper seemed to slide through his mind, trailing the name, 'Nick,' as it went.

The name rolled around in his head a moment before he opened his mouth. He tried to say the name, but all that came out was a garbled, "…Ick." He growled in frustration, causing 'Nick' to jump slightly. He tried again, this time successfully managing to pronounce, "Nick," in a raspy, hoarse voice.

He watched as Nick's eyes widened his mouth flapping unintelligently as he gave the impression of a fish out of water. The wind picked up at that moment and the scent he'd followed earlier wafted beneath his nose, tantalizingly close. He realized it was coming from Nick and smiled.

Just as he was about to approach him, a bullet whizzed by his head, grazing his uninjured cheek as it went. He yelped and flew through the air, landing behind Nick and whimpering in fear. He saw the two people he'd seen with Nick earlier running up and yelling at him. He blinked in confusion. Why were they so angry with him? Had he done something wrong?

He crouched behind Nick and peered warily at the two people now standing in front of them, their weapons pointed at him over Nick's shoulder. He lowered his head and whined pitifully, inhaling Nick's scent to try and calm himself down. This was just not his day.

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Read and review. Let me know what ya'll think. Flames will be ignored. You didn't have to read this and there was a warning.


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